1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the flying of a kite and for compactly storing the kite when the kite is not in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Kite flying is a very popular pasttime. Typically, kites are initially in disassembled form, having been assembled for flying and then disassembled for storing. A line, stored on a spool typically in the form of a ball, is used to control the flying of the kite.
Several disadvantages are inherent in kites which limit their use and enjoyment. First, the various parts of the kite are often times either lost or damaged when the kite is stored in a disassembled form. Second, a storage place must be found to store the kite safely until it is used again, presenting an inconvenience to the kite user. Third, in flying the kite, the kite line is taken off the ball of line while holding the ball in one hand. Frequently, in unwinding the kite line, the ball of line will accidentally fall to the ground, allowing more line than desired to come off the spool. Fourth, when retrieving the kite, the line must be rewound around the ball to avoid tangling the line. However, the rewinding of the kite line around the ball does not always prevent tangling of the line and commonly results in the kite line being wound in a loose and messy manner. Fifth, when the rewound ball of line is stored for further use with the kite, the line, having been wound in a loose manner, frequently slides off the spool or the spool rolls around, unwinding line. Sixth, the time intervals between flying the kite may be rather long, and the ball of line and the kite may become separated from each other with either ball of line or kite disappearing or the ball of line being used for other purposes and having to be purchased again.
Several kite flying mechanisms have been developed that store a kite line on a reel and are used to control the flying of the kite.
The Williams U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,672 shows a mechanism that includes a reel for controlling the flying of a kite. The mechanism includes a handle and three reels with three kite lines attached to a frame. The three lines come off of the reels and are separated by a spider mechanism. A hand crank is included to operate the reels. However, after the kite has been flown, the problem of storing the kite still remains.
In the Leary U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,387, a reel containing kite line is mounted between two extending legs that are part of a handle. The Leary patent also does not recognize the problem of storing the kite after use.
The Hill U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,273 shows a framework containing two reels with kite line and the reels being operated by a handle. The Hill patent also does not recognize the problems of kite storage.